Oregon Coastal Birds

Back to Summer House Stitche Workes' "Sophia".  I am determined to finish up all the fiddly stitching this week so I can start on the owl.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I did manage to do a little bit of birding while at the Oregon Coast.

As might be expected, there were gulls everywhere!

The Yaquina Bay South Jetty proved to be a good spot for birds including Golden-crowned Sparrows... 

...and a White-crowned Sparrow.

The calm waters along the jetty attract many different types of birds.

I got to cross out another "Must-See Bird of the Pacific Northwest" - a Surft Scoter.

The males have very large bills and look like ocean-going clowns. 

I've spent a long time trying to ID this bird. 

I think it is a Brandt's Cormorant.

Here's a Brandt's Cormorant on the jetty.  They have quite a thick muscular neck.

The Glaucous-winged Gulls are one of the three common Oregon coastal gulls.

Winter is the only time one can see a Common Loon in Oregon.

Pretty cool, huh?

I was pretty excited to see a pelican flying along.

And even more excited when I realized there were Brown Pelicans wintering along the jetty. 

Their heads and bills are much more colorful than those of American White Pelicans. 

I was pretty thrilled to add them to my Birding Life List.

Besides the Gray Whales, I was able to see a pair of Harbor Seals in a cove along Yaquina Head.

Love those eyebrows!

So clever how they glide along with their nose up out of the water.

Ah!  That's the life!